Hagel has it rough in confirmation hearing

WASHINGTON Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's nominee to be secretary of defense, faced sharp and sometimes angry questioning from fellow Republicans – especially his old friend, Sen. John McCain – at a contentious confirmation hearing Thursday that focused on his past statements on Iran, the influence of pro-Israel organizations in Washington and the Iraq War.

Hagel, 66, a former senator from Nebraska and a decorated Vietnam veteran who would be the first former enlisted combat soldier to be secretary of defense, often seemed tentative in his responses. Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee showed him no deference.

One Republican on the committee, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, said bluntly, “Senator Hagel did little to help himself today.”

The angriest exchange of the hearing occurred with McCain, a fellow Vietnam veteran who was a close friend of Hagel in the Senate, but split with him because of Hagel's skeptical views on the Iraq War. McCain was a strong supporter of the war, and like many Republicans, he still holds Hagel's opposition against him. In 2008, Hagel did not endorse McCain for president and went with Obama, then a senator from Illinois, to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hagel dodged a direct answer as McCain asked him repeatedly if history would judge whether he was right or wrong in opposing the surge in U.S. armed forces in 2007. The escalation is credited with helping to quell the violence in Iraq at the time. When Hagel said he wanted to explain, McCain bore in.

“I actually would like an answer, yes or no,” McCain said.

“Well, I'm not going to give you a yes or no,” Hagel replied.

McCain did not let up.

“I think history has already made a judgment about the surge, sir, and you're on the wrong side of it,” McCain said. “And your refusal to answer whether you were right or wrong about it is going to have an impact on my judgment as to whether I vote for your confirmation or not.”

It took the next questioner, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to draw Hagel out on the subject. “I did question a surge,” Hagel said. “I always ask the question, is this going to be worth the sacrifice?”

He said nearly 1,200 U.S. men and women lost their lives in the surge and thousands more were wounded. “I'm not that certain that it was required,” Hagel said. “Now, it doesn't mean I'm right, doesn't mean I didn't make wrong votes.”

One of the most hostile questioners was Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who told Hagel to “name one dumb thing we've been goaded into doing because of the pressure from the Israeli or Jewish lobby.” Hagel, who in 2006 said that the “Jewish lobby” intimidates Congress, could not.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, put excerpts from an interview Hagel gave to Al-Jazeera in 2009 on a giant video screen. Although it was difficult to hear the short clips he provided, Cruz asserted that they showed Hagel agreeing with a caller who suggested that Israel had committed war crimes.

“Do you think the nation of Israel has committed war crimes?” Cruz demanded.

“No, I do not, Senator,” Hagel replied.

Late in the day, Sen. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat from West Virginia who is as much a maverick in his party as Hagel is in his, apologized to Hagel for the sharp tone of the panel. In the morning Manchin said Hagel's views brought a “breath of fresh air” to the process.

“I can't tell you how much I wish I had served with you,” Manchin said.

Under gentle questioning from Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Hagel said he had voted against some unilateral U.S. sanctions against Iran in 2001 and 2002 because “I thought that there might be other ways to employ our vast ability to harness power and allies” and “we were at a different place with Iran at that time.”

Hagel faltered at one point, saying he strongly backed the president's policy of Iran “containment.” He was handed a note, which he read and then corrected himself, “Obviously, we don't have a position on containment.”

At that point Levin interjected, “We do have a position on containment, which is we do not favor containment.” The Obama administration's policy on Iran obtaining nuclear weapons remains prevention. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.